Moro National Liberation Front: A Strong Determination for the Future of Islam

Chapter I. The Problem and Its Scope
INTRODUCTIONThe term Bangsamoro is the generic name for the thirteen ethnolinguistic Muslim tribes of the southern Philippines. The thirteen groups are Sama, Badjao Tausug, Yakan,Maranao, Maguindanao, Iranun, Kalibugan, Kalagan, Sangil, Palawani, Molbog, and Jamamapun. In the 2000 Philippine census, Islam was given as the religious affiliation by 20.44% of the population of Mindanao, all in all approximately 3.7 million persons (National Statistics Office Manila, Philippines). The map below indicates those provinces of the southern Philippines which accommodate a Muslim ethnic population.

The majority of the Muslim Bangsamoro of the southern Philippines are represented by two main political and paramilitary groups the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The common aim of both groups would be to have autonomy and to live according to Sharia law. However as Vitug & Gloria (2000) point out this promotes a conflict of interest, because Philippine law has the Constitution as its authority and the Philippine Constitution ‘still hovers above the Koran’. Whilst the MILF have been engaging in official peace talks with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) since March 2003, the MNLF has not been as fortunate. Although the GRP signed the historic 1996 Peace Agreement with the MNLF most of the conditions have not been implemented, and this in turn has led to unrest with the Muslim Bangsamoro who are represented by the MNLF. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This paper examines the challenges for peace and independence of a Muslim Bangsamoro group of the southern Philippines namely the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and examines the social and political changes occurring in Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. The paper will give a brief history of Islam in the Philippines then chronologically trace the formation of the MNLF. Important features of the paper will be the eras before and after 1996, necessary, because this was the year that the MNLF and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) signed an historic Peace Agreement. And the paper will attempt to explain why the MNLF has been largely ignored in the peace processes of the 21st Century, and why the GRP is reluctant to negotiate with them with the same enthusiasm as they are doing with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The paper will conclude with a prediction as to the future of the MNLF. RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

The history and struggle for survival of Islam in the southern Philippines can be chronologically placed into four eras. They are (1) 1450 (establishment of Sulu Sultanate) to 1764 (end of the Moro Wars), (2) 1764 to 1898 (end of Spanish colonialism), (3) 1898 to 1946 (Philippine independence), and (4) 1946 to the present time. (1) According to Lingga (2004) the exact arrival date of Islam in the Philippines is difficult to determine. However it is now widely accepted that the first Sultanate in Sulu was established in 1450, and by the time the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan (who was commissioned by Spain) visited the Philippines in 1521, there had been four Sultans in Sulu (Local Government Unit: Province of Sulu, 2005). As well by 1521 Islam was being practiced in vast areas of the entire Philippines. Nevertheless Spain believed its duty lay in proselytizing the population of the Philippines to Christianity. This course of action inevitably led to hostilities with the local Muslim population: the first being near Cebu (an island in the Visayas group, equidistant between Luzon and Mindanao) in 1569. The armed conflicts between the Spanish colonialists and the Muslim Bangsamoro in the Philippines from 1569 to 1764 were known as the Moro Wars. Throughout the 17th Century the Muslims in the southern Philippines were successful in repelling...

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...KPDC Submitted on October 10, 2008
2008-0xxxx
BA Political Science
Thesis: Ancestral domain, cultural differences, and hostilities in Mindanao are the reasons behind the Muslims’ appeal for secession.
I. Introduction
II. Muslims have occupied Mindanao even before the colonization of the country.
a. A ‘baranganic’ society and government were established before the spread of Islam in the country.
b. Sultanates were formed during the spread of Islam in the country.
c. Foreign colonization was unfalteringly resisted by the Muslims of Mindanao.
III. Cultural differences have resulted in a scarce understanding of the Muslims by the rest of the population.
a. Muslims were influenced by certain Islamic beliefs and the structure of the Moro society.
b. Muslims were deprived of privileges, discriminated against, and considered a minority group.
IV. The government and the Muslims have caused hostilities against each other for years.
a. The aggression between the government and the Muslims was escalated during the Commonwealth period and the Marcos regime.
b. Mindanao was disputed over from the Ramos regime to the Arroyo regime.
c. The Muslims’ actions against the government were supported by Islamic countries.
V. Conclusion...

...The Moro Islamic Liberation Front:
An Islamic Revivalist
By:
Marjanie Salic Macasalong
Introduction:
The conflict in Mindanao did not come into being without any root. Like any other conflicts, the case of Mindanao is very much anchored to its history. As a matter of fact, majority of the Moros consider the current Christian-dominated government as a continuation of the colonial domination and exploitation by the foreign powers – Spain and America. Only the names and strategies varied but the effects and consequences to the Moros are very much the same. To some extent, it became even more systematic and subtle in carrying out the strategies and policies to ensure that the Moros would be pushed aside, if not completely eliminated.
Books of different authors unanimously agree that Islam came to the Philippines long before Christianity. Although precise date is not available, some data show that Islam came as early as 10th century. Majul noted that “there is an evidence that Arab ships, or rather, ships captained by Arabs, had reached China from some islands in the Philippines during 10th century”. However, most writers recorded that Islam became only well established during 13th century. According to Chinese sources dating from the Yuan Dynasty (1280-1368), record of trade activities between China and Sulu were evident.
Prior to the coming of Spain in the middle...

...Nur Misuari
Introduction
Nurallaji (Nur) Misuari was born on March 3, 1942 in Jolo, the fourth son in a family of 10 children. His parents were simple Tau Sug and Sama fisherfolks from Kabinga-an, Tapul Island. According to friends, Nur was so poor that he could never have gone to college were it not for a kindly teacher in Jolo who recognized his potentials and pulled off a scholarship for him as a Commission on National Integration (CNI) scholar at the University of the Philippines (UP) in Manila.
Nur recalls being an "ordinary child without ambition. All I wanted was to go to school and serve my family." In 1958, Nur left Jolo to attend the university, where friends say he was soft spoken, reserved, and a disciplined student. Former Secretary Ruben Torres, who went to the university with Misuari, recalled that Nur's only recreation was billiards. "He was very religious," says Torres. "He never drank or chased women."
Nur took a degree in Political Science and soon after blossomed and became the embodiment of campus charisma through his campus activities particularly as a debater.
Upon graduation, Nur went to law school in 1962, but dropped out in his second year. He took a Master’s degree in Asian Studies and finished it in 1966. Through the help of the noted historian, Dr. Cesar Adib Majul, Nur landed a job as a Political Science instructor in UP.
Emergence as a Leader
In 1964, Nur founded the Bagong Asya, a radical student group....

...AutonomousRegion in MuslimMindanao
Quick Facts &amp; Figures
* Regional Center Cotabato City
Governor Mujiv Hataman
* Total Area 26,974 km2 (10,415 sq mi)
Population (2007) 4,120,795
Density 150/km2 (400/sq mi)
* Provinces 5
* Cities 2
Municipalities 113
Barangays 2,470
Cong. Districts 8
* Languages Banguingui, Maguindanao, Maranao, Tausug, Yakan, Sama
The AutonomousRegion in MuslimMindanao (abbreviated ARMM) is the region, located in the Mindanao island group of the Philippines, that is composed of predominantly Muslim provinces, namely: Basilan (except Isabela City), Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. It is the only region that has its own government. The regional capital is at Cotabato City, although this city is outside of its jurisdiction.
HISTORY
The ARMM previously included the province of Shariff Kabunsuan until 16 July 2008, when Shariff Kabunsuan ceased to exist as a provinceafter the Filipino Supreme Court declared the "MuslimMindanao Autonomy Act 201", which created it, unconstitutional in Sema v. Comelec.[1] On 7 October 2012, President Benigno Aquino III said that the government aimed to have peace in the region and it will be known as "Bangsamoro".
For the most part of...

...Arts in the MuslimRegion
The Muslim south where the minority Muslim population is concentrated about nine (9) ethnic-linguistic groups:
1. Tausug
2. Maranaos
3. Maguindanao
4. Samal
5. Yakan
6. Sanggil
7. Badjao
8. Molbog
9. Jama Mapun
Woodcrafts:
Okil or okir (wood carvings) - is the best represented by brass works, where one sees a rare blending
of the aesthetic, the utilitarian, and the social purposes.
Brass works:
* Kabu
* Gadua- jar-like containers with covers
* Langguay- coverless containers with decorated rims
* Kendi- an ornamented teapot
* Salapa and lutuan- both associated with betel-nut chewing
* Talam- the gorgeous tray often used as modern table top
* Kodon- used for cooking
As a brave and freedom-loving people, the Muslim Filipinos developed a wide assortment of weapons. They used grave markers in order to make these weapons like wood and coral stones to carve arabesque designs.
* Barung- used by tausogs of sulo
* Kris-maranaos
* Kampilan- used by maranaos and maguindanaons
* Gunong
* Lantaka
Although non-figurative art is predominant among Muslim Filipinos, there are a number of notable figurative types found among them.
* Sarimanok- is unmistakably fowl-like in form. The head and wings are always present. A...

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THE TERRITORIAL DISPUTE FOR MUSLIMMINDANAO
AND ITS EFFECT ON SOCIETY
1LM1
BAROMA
25
Unsatisfactorily contributed his research
DELIMA
40
Gathered, edited, polished & greatly contributed research to the paper
GUTTIEREZ
40
Contributed a satisfactory part to the paper
ONG
40
Edited & greatly contributed research to the paper
PARADO
40
Contributed a satisfactory part to the paper
VIDAD
0
Did not perform well and gave a morbidly poor contribution which did not help at all
SUBMITTED TO:
ASSOC. PROF. MARINA D. GAMO, Ph.D.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2013
CHAPTER I
A. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The MoroNationalLiberation Front (MNLF) is a rebel group that was founded by Nur Misuari in 1969. The MNLF struggled against the Philippine Government to achieve independence of the Bangsamoro Land . The MNLF-GPH Peace Process is ongoing since the 1976 and both parties are working together to negotiate the terms and conditions of the legal framework and implementation of genuine autonomy as a peaceful path towards independence. As defined by the MNLF, the territory of Bangsamoro Land covers Sulu, Mindanao, Palawan, and Sabah.
MNLF is internationally recognized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC, formerly the Organization of the Islamic Conference) and its Parliamentary Union of OIC Member States . Since 1977, the MNLF has been an...

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From Terrorism to Peace: A Successful Case Study of the Muslims of Mindanao
Submitted by: Sadaf Amjad
Table of Contents
From Terrorism to Peace: A Successful Case Study of the Muslims of Mindanao 1
Table of Contents 1
Introduction 3
Historical developments in Philippines 3
Deciphering the conflict in Philippines 3
Initiation of the conflict 5
MILITANT GROUPS 6
MoroNationalLiberation Front (MNLF) 6
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) 6
International Terrorism in Bangsamoro 7
The Post-9/11 Response to Bangsamoro 9
Peace Agreements 9
The Tripoli Agreement 10
Jeddah Accords 1987 10
Jakarta Agreement 1996 10
The National Peace and Development Plan and the Strategy of Total Approach (STA) 11
Six Paths to Peace 12
Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro, 2014 12
Possible Impacts 12
Challenges 13
A Way Forward 15
Conclusion 16
REFERENCES 17
Introduction
Philippines, the third largest Roman Catholic country of the world is an island nation located in Southeast Asia between the Philippines and the South China Sea. The country is an archipelago made up of 7,107 islands. Another peculiarity about its locations is that it is centered on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is near to the equator that renders it to excessive earthquakes and typhoons. (Briney, 2010)
Historical...

...http://www.scribd.com/doc/38744323/Subanon-Tales-and-Oral-History
The Subanon, also called “Subanu,” “Subano,” “Subanen,” are the biggest group of
lumad or non-Muslim indigenous cultural community on the island of Mindanao. The
word is derived from the word soba or suba, a word common in Sulu, Visayas, and
Mindanao, which means “river,” and the suffix “-nun” or -non” which indicates a
locality or place of origin. Thus “Subanon” means “a person or people of the river”;
more specifically, “from up the river,” since they are usually differentiated from the
coastal and plains inhabitants of Zamboanga peninsula. Blumentritt mentioned the
“Subanos” in his accounts, referring to them as “a heathen people of Malay extraction
who occupy the entire peninsula of Sibuguey (west Mindanao) with the exception of
a single strip on the south coast” (Finley 1913:2). Finley, recording his impressions
of the Subanon at the beginning of American occupation of southern Philippines in the
1900s, cited published records of early Spanish chroniclers, notably the writings of
Father Francisco Combes in 1667, to argue that the Subanon were the aborigines of
western Mindanao.
The language of this group is generally referred to as Subanon. However, there are
dialectal variations, depending on the locality in which the people live. The Subanon
groups are dispersed over a wide...